Cheshire’s boutique Hide and Seek festival has announced its lineup for 2022 and there are some big names on the bill this year.
This September, the festival will return to the beautiful grounds of Capesthorne Hall with a new ‘ethereal’ theme and an expanded line-up of emerging talents and enduring legends, split across five stages.
Organisers announced this morning that this year’s event will feature performances from Todd Terje, Priku, Zip, Apollonia, Sonja Moonear, Fumiya, Tanaka, Raresh and loads more.
This year marks the third edition of the festival, which has already made a huge impact on the underground festival circuit – quickly becoming synonymous with authentic electronic sounds from the worlds of house, techno, disco and minimal.
Image: Hannah Metcalfe
A host of Manchester brands like You&Me, Animal Crossing, Surco, Arcadia, Tranquil and God Made Me Funky are all set to appear, as well as a host of tastemakers from further afield.
This include Paris’s Automatic Writing, Liverpool’s MODU:LAR and Zuku, London’s Bizarre Trax and Beeyou, SetOneTwenty and Magnetic from Leeds and Real Gang from Ibiza.
Last year’s show was so widely loved that organisers were left with no other choice than to expand the offer to a two-day format and to create space for extended set times and a growing list of talent.
Importantly, the focus remains firmly on careful curation and coherent programming to maintain Hide&Seek’s well-deserved reputation as a festival by and for serious music lovers.
Image: Hannah Metcalfe
Just announced debutants includeTraumer, Gene on Earth b2b The Ghost, Binh b2b DJ Masda, Chris Stussy, Dungeon Meat and Jamie 3:26.
They will join a host of returning favourites including Josh Baker, Spokenn, Sugar Free, Sweely, Voigtmann and many more.
This year’s festival concept is Electric Dreams, promising revellers a sure-fire trip to the ethereal.
The grounds of Capesthorne Hall will once again be transformed into an adult wonderland with crystal clear sound and immersive production, with luscious woodland, lakes and landscaped gardens all open to explore.
Festival co-founder Josh Baker said: “As we enter year 3, we couldn’t be more excited to showcase what’s in store. We are taking huge steps to continue to both entertain and educate the dance floor.
Image: Supplied
“We have spent endless hours considering the programme to offer an optimal experience over two days which allows ravers to discover new names whilst being blown away by legends of the scene. For 2022, our mission is to offer an experience you never knew you needed. Electric Dreams.”
Fellow co-founder Kurt Hurst added: “The development from our first edition in 2019 to the 2021 festival was clearly a huge step up, and as per our marketing and messaging this was always part of the vision.
“However there is still further room for growth and this will be evident on arrival to Capesthorne Hall on September 3rd/4th.
“After 2021 we received such incredibly overwhelming feedback in regards to stage concepts, entertainment, audio & production, but we can assure that all of these elements will continue to evolve and allow us to deliver an even better ‘dreamlike’ experience.”
Tickets are on sale now via the Hide and Seek website, with payment plans starting from just £15.
Feature image – Supplied
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Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s adorable baby snow leopard who went viral last week could very well be about to go viral again.
That’s because new footage of it venturing outside for the first time have been released.
After arriving to first-time parents Nubra and Yashin, who are both three-years-old, last month (10 June 2025), keepers at Chester Zoo said mum and cub had mostly spent their time quietly tucked away in a cosy den, away from the eyes of the onlooking public – but now, it’s time for the little one to see what the outside world is all about.
Now, at seven-weeks old, the cub has gained in strength and confidence, and experts expected that it could venture outside at ‘any moment’.
Zookeepers are still yet to confirm the sex of the cub, and will be able to do soon once it has undergone its first health check-up with the vets.
We can also expect to hear one the little one’s name is very soon too.
If you’re unfamiliar with snow leopards, they are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it’s believed there are as few as 4,000 now remaining in the wild.
Nicknamed the ‘ghosts of the mountains’, these elusive – but adorable – big cats are found in the rugged, remote regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas – but sadly, despite being known for living in desolate, harsh environments, they continue to face threats from habitat loss, climate change, poaching, and retaliatory killings by farmers.
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time / Credit: Chester Zoo
The cub’s birth follows the opening of Chester Zoo’s Himalayan habitat in May 2024, which is a vast, rocky environment that authentically recreates the mountainous terrain of Central Asia.
“This is the first snow leopard cub to be born at Chester Zoo,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo, last week when the adorable hidden den cam footage was first released to the public.
“It’s a truly historic moment and a real cause for celebration – not just for our teams here, but also for the future of this magnificent species globally.”
Although it’s still early days, carnivore experts at the zoo say Nubra is showing ‘excellent maternal instincts’ by nursing her new arrival every few hours and always keeping close by.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
News
Rochdale man, 20, found guilty of assaulting police officers and the public at Manchester Airport
Emily Sergeant
A man from Rochdale has been found guilty of assaulting a man and two female police officers at Manchester Airport last year.
20-year-old Mohammed Fahir Amaaz has been convicted of common assault and two counts of actual bodily harm following a four-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court in relation to a high-profile incident that took place at Manchester Airport on 23 July 2024.
The first attack on the member of public – of which extensive footage of was shared with the court over the course of the trail – took place in a largely public area of the Airport, but despite claims made to the contrary, Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) investigation found no evidence of any ‘prior threatening’ or ‘unacceptable behaviour’ by the victim aimed towards Amaaz or his family.
Three GMP officers – one male and two female – responded to the initial assault, and as they proceeded to detain and arrest Amaaz at the Terminal 2 car park pay station for assault, they suffered a number of injuries – such as concussion, a broken nose, and bruising and swelling.
CCTV played to the jury during the trail showed Amaaz throwing 10 punches, two ‘elbow strikes’, and one kick in what was described as a ‘prolonged and violent’ attack.
This conviction follows a thorough investigation of all available footage to understand the full context to the incident.
Our officers have been supported throughout and continue to be supported.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) July 30, 2025
An investigation, led by a team from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, was subsequently launched following the incident.
Police were said to have worked ‘diligently and expediently’ through all the moving footage, including CCTV and body worn camera recordings, complemented by the testimonies of witnesses to the incident, which allowed them to present a clear and accurate picture of the facts of the events to the jury.
A jury convicted Amaaz of assaults on the two female officers, but a decision is still inconclusive regarding the incident with the male police officer.
GMP now says it will be working with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in support of a re-trial for these inconclusive counts.
A CCTV image of the brawl in action / Credit: CPS
“Whilst assaults on police officers are sadly not uncommon, such attacks can never be justified,” commented Sir Stephen Watson, who is the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, following the trial.
“Our officers are decent people who routinely place themselves in harm’s way to protect the public, and they deserve our respect and support.
“I am particularly grateful to those many members of the public who have contacted the force in order to pass on their best wishes to the officers affected.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st March 2022 
